All-Star Comics #47

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE GHOST OF BILLY THE KID At a community charity drive in Civic City, Billy the Kid arrives on horseback with his posse and steals the $100,000 in donations. The Justice Society of America reads about the theft at their headquarters in the evening editions and is determined to stop him. The Atom recalls reading about a professor Baker, who was committed to a hospital, after claiming to have seen the ghost of Billy the Kid. Green Lantern believes the two must be related and insists that they investigate. When the group arrives, the professor tells them that he's been expecting them, then tells them his story: After hearing that his good friend and rodeo star Hal Hampden died, the professor tried to finish an article on Billy the Kid for a magazine, when he was kidnapped at gunpoint by a pair of cowboys. After blindfolding the professor, the men rode for an hour until they arrived at an old western town called Silver Butte. The men led the professor to Billy the Kid, who claims that he never died, and wants Baker to chronicle his next crime spree, which will take place in 72 hours. After Baker is returned home, he tried to find Silver Butte again, but was unable to. When he tried to warn the police, he was committed to the hospital. Black Canary presses the professor to think of what kind of crimes Billy the Kid would commit. The professor tells her that Billy the Kid only stole gold. With that information, Hawkman splits the group up to protect all of the places they think Billy the Kid may strike.  Hawkman and Black Canary visit a metal refinery outside the city. The president of the refinery tells them they just sent a 50-pound shipment with a messenger to the bank. They pursue the messenger, and find that Billy the Kid and his posse have already sprung an ambush and taken the gold. They disarm the posse, and give chase to Billy, but stop dead in their tracks when they round a corner. Wonder Woman, Flash, and Doctor Mid-Nite head to the airport to protect a shipment of gold from the country of Norland. As the plane is landing, Billy the Kid rides out onto the runway and lassos the plane wing. Billy's posse disables all of the law enforcement guards by burning loco weed in a bonfire. Billy rides off with the gold, just as the JSA team arrives. They easily handle the henchmen, but just like Black Canary and Hawkman, the group is astounded by what they see when they round a corner. Following a recent news item claiming a giant gold mine exists under Civic City, Billy the Kid, dynamites a hole in the exact center of town. At the bottom of the hole, there is gold, but only because they've blown a hole in a bank vault. Billy and his gang attempt to escape, but Green Lantern and Atom are waiting for them. Again, the duo handles Billy's team, but Billy escapes around a corner, leaving Green Lantern and Atom puzzled.   At headquarters, the group compares notes, and everyone reports seeing Billy the Kid disappear, just like a ghost. Knowing they have to find Billy's hideout, they head back to professor Baker in hopes of getting more information, only to find Baker gone. However, Baker left a note, instructing the group to come to Civic Square Arena. The group arrives and begins to explore, and find the town of Silver Butte hidden under the arena. Billy is waiting for them with the professor held hostage. The group surrender, and Billy ties them and the professor to a stagecoach, then pushes the stagecoach into a pile of dynamite. Green Lantern uses his ring to create a team of horses to steer the stagecoach back into the crooks. Flash spins Billy the Kid like a top into Green Lantern, who punches him in face, knocking him out and knocking off his mask, revealing that Billy the Kid was actually Hal Hampden, who faked his own death to allow him to commit crimes without suspicion.